Take the results of the shootouts with a grain of salt.

And yes, I am certain the manufacturers provide the "spy" photos, or call the mags in to take the pics. Just look the new Arctic Cat quad "spy" photos...the quad is sitting 2 feet behind a chain-link fence. Sad.

Whatever, I'm just glad to see the majority of the pages in the mags having sport/hi-perf quads as opposed to utility/4x4's. I stopped subscribing in the '90s cause I was sick of seeing the 4x4 shootouts.

 

I read somewhere in the magazines that the spy photos are sent by the manufacturers. I'll try to find where I read that. I guess the purpose of the spy photos is to get people wondering, and to let the public know they have something new on the way so they don't go buy something else.